The 10 Most Crucial Shows To Watch if You Love ‘NCIS’

In the early 2000s,Law & Orderand its spin-off,SVU, had a stranglehold on police dramas. The franchise, which is basically its own universe, has been a ratings boon for NBC. So, CBS went searching for its own show that it could turn into a franchise, and in 2003, NCIS premiered to rave reviews.

The series takes a unique perspective on the tried-and-true police procedural in that it follows special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) as they investigate crimes related to the Navy and Marine Corps. As the TV gods would have it, NCIS has become its own universe, with seven spin-offs that rival NBC’s most-beloved legal drama. However, if you’ve watched the OG series and all of its spin-offs, and still need your police drama fix, you’re in luck as we have these shows that you should check out if you’re a massive fan of NCIS.

10

‘Law & Order: SVU’ (1999–)

Created by Dick Wolf

Yes, we’re starting out with one of its main competitors, mainly because the two are kind of similar in premise and tone. While NCIS deals with crime related to the armed forces, Law & Order: SVU deals with crime as it related to sex crimes, from human trafficking to rape.

Premiering four years before NCIS, SVU is a crowd-pleaser, with interesting cases that will keep you binge-watching the show for hours on end. There is a world where I would like to see Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Leroy Hethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon) team up to solve a case, but, a guy can only dream, right?

9

‘The Night Agent’ (2023–)

Created by Shawm Ryan

Why should networks have all the fun in the legal drama genre? The rise of streaming services has provided a new avenue for the police procedural to innovate with new concepts. One of those new-concept shows is Netflix’s The Night Agent, which stars Gabriel Basso as an FBI Agent who is thrust into the field to protect a cybersecurity entrepreneur (Luciane Buchanan).

The Night Agent may seem like a by-the-numbers series, but its story screams for this series to be binge-watched over a long, chill weekend. You can’t just start at a random episode in either of its two seasons, you need to start at the first episode in Season 1 and follow the story. Trust me, you won’t regret it.

8

‘The Equalizer’ (2021–2025)

Created by Michael Sloan and Richard Lidnheim

While the movies brought The Equalizerinto the 21st century, you should give the TV adaptation equal love as well. A reboot of the original 1985 crime drama, The EqualizerstarsQueen Latifah as Robin McCall, a single mother who acts as a guardian angel of New York City, stopping the bad guys and protecting citizens using her unique and mysterious skills.

While the show isn’t as action-packed as the Antoine Fuqua–Denzel Washington-led films, the show delves a bit deeper into themes the movie wants to explore, but doesn’t have the time to dive into. Also, the performances in the series are stellar, and I was sad when CBS canceled the series after five memorable seasons. Give this series some binge-watching love, and you’ll be just as hooked as I was.

7

‘Hawaii Five-0’ (2010–2020)

Created by Peter M. Lenkov, Alex Kurtzman, and Roberto Orci

Hawaii is famous as a tourist paradise, but it can also be a haven for some terrible criminals. This is where the Hawaii Department of Public Safety comes in as they fight crime on the islands in Hawaii Five-0.

A reboot of the 1968 series that ran for 12 seasons and has an iconic theme song, the modern-day Hawaii-Five-O is just as exhilarating as the original, with the action just as tight and exciting. While the drama may lack a bit, there is plenty within this series that will hold your attention the same way NCIS does.

6

‘JAG’ (1995–2005)

Created by Donald P. Bellisario

There would not be an NCIS without this legendary military drama. Premiering in 1995 and running for ten seasons, JAG thrilled viewers with its take on “judge advocates,” lawyers within the United States Navy who have the unique position of both prosecuting cases and defending criminal cases.

The look at how the Navy handles its legal business made for must-see TV back in the ’90s, and while it did lose some steam towards the end, we have to appreciate this show as it gave birth to NCIS and all of its spin-offs. So, if you’re looking for an alternative after you’ve finished binge-watching NCIS, JAG should definitely be on your list.

5

’24’ (2001–2010)

Created by Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran

It seems as if24, the hit Fox political drama starring Kiefer Sutherland, has become a relic lost to time. But, if you’re a massive NCIS fan, you absolutely need to have this series teed up on your watchlist, as you’ll find this show to be somewhat of a spiritual relative to the famed CBS series.

Sutherland stars as Jack Bauer, a counterterrorist agent who has to stop a terrorist plot within 24 hours, or else. The show’s unique structure is what makes 24 stand out, as each season covers the 24 hours Jack has in order to stop disaster from occurring. While the show did stall out towards the end of its run, 24 has carved out a pretty unique legacy for itself, one that NCIS fans will certainly appreciate.

4

‘Paradise’ (2025–)

Created by Dan Fogelman

One of the best shows of 2025, hands down, Paradise is a show that, once you cut it on, it’s hard to stop watching as you’ll get wrapped up in its mystery. Starring Sterling K. Brownin a simply stellar performance as Secret Service agent Xavier Collins, Paradise follows him as he searches for the suspect who killed the President of the United States. As a bonus, he tries to uncover what really happened outside the mountains that he, and a host of survivors, are holed up in after an apocalyptic event wipes out nearly all life on Earth.

Mixing post-apocalyptic themes with a political thriller, Paradise expertly toggles between timelines to keep viewers hooked and intrigued by the overall story. There are a lot of shocking moments, and the finale will leave you speechless.

3

‘Zero Day’ (2025)

Created by Eric Newman, Noah Oppenheim, and Michael Schmidt

So, I want you to imagine something: You’re reading this story, and, all of a sudden, the power goes out. It’s only out for a couple of minutes, no harm done. Except, when you turn on the news, you find out that the seemingly harmless power outage wasn’t limited to your area, but the entire country, and thousands died in that two-minute span.

This is the premise of Netflix’sZero Day, which stars Robert De Niroas a former president who is tasked with leading a commission to find the hackers responsible for “Zero Day,” the day when the power went out nationwide, before they strike again. Tense from minute one, Zero Day will keep you hooked on its story, and the ending twist will catch you off guard, in a good way. It may not be as action-packed as NCIS, but if you’re a fan, Zero Day will still get the job done.

2

‘NYPD Blue’ (1993–2005)

Created by Steven Bochco and David Milch

There was a lot of controversy surrounding NYPD Blue when it premiered on ABC in 1993, but it has since been recognized as one of the best police dramas ever produced. The series, created by the legendary Steven Bochco and David Milch, takes a real-look at the inner-workings of the NYPD’s 15th squad detective unit, and their day-to-day in solving crime in New York City.

Much like NCIS, NYPD Blue was a groundbreaking series in that it didn’t take the “cops are heroes” approach to storytelling. The detectives here are human, flawed, and could use controversial methods to solve crimes. That realistic look at policing is what won over fans and allowed for the series to delve into hot-button topics seemingly with ease.

1

‘The Shield’ (2002–2008)

Created by Shawn Ryan

The spiritual successor to NYPD Blue, FX’s The Shieldwas just as groundbreaking and original as the ABC show that inspired it. Starring Michael Chiklis, the crime drama follows a special unit within the LAPD as it focuses on stopping gang violence in a rough area of Los Angeles.

Much like NYPD Blue, The Shield is lauded for not portraying cops in an “angel-like” way. They show the cops within this special unit as real people with real flaws, who are very susceptible to corruption and use questionable methods in going about their work. The Shield is action-packed and gritty, and should be a fan-favorite among fans of the NCIS universe.

NEXT: The 7 Best Episodes of ‘NCIS’